We are wild about the opportunity to feature our first British Spotlight Author! Whether you are a Janeite or not, Jane Austen’s influence on the modern novel is undeniable. Scholars and fans worldwide have spent 2025 celebrating the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth on December 16, 1775, and we plan to keep the party going.
In keeping with the 2027 Convention Theme, we recognize Jane Austen as a master of technê. Austen’s contributions to the craft of the modern novel—her breakthrough use of free indirect discourse, her psychologically nuanced characters, and her creation or consolidation of plot tropes that still form the foundation of modern romance novels—make her a giant in the history of the novel and a perennial favorite.
Our Austen-related programming will feature eminent Austen scholar Dr. Devoney Looser, author of Wild for Austen: A Rebellious, Subversive, and Untamed Jane (2025) and many other scholarly works on Austen, women’s writing, and the history of the novel.
More from Footnotes: June 16, 2026
Summer Awards Cycle
Internship Stipend
Outstanding Chapter Award
